Toronto Cops Come Through for the Threatened. Sometimes. Depending on Who They Are and What Their Complaint Is

They sure came through lickety-split for this chick--a visitor from N.Z. who received threats on Facebook after making disparaging comments about a dead Canadian soldier:

Burstyn, who is in Toronto on business, began fearing for the safety of her Auckland-based children after a flood of threatening posts, emails and phone calls. (The soldier has since shut down the Facebook page.) 

Someone put one of her old addresses up online, she said, and another volunteered to go there and harass whoever answers. She said she had also seen some Canadians writing that they’ll "get her" in Canada.

"I tear up when I think about them [the threats] because they’re so extreme," she said.
Burstyn said she first called Auckland police about the threats but they wouldn’t look into it. She said they told her to go to Interpol.

"I tried to explain my children and property were at risk right now from a cyber lynch-mob inciting people to leave the safety of the internet and visit my home where my family live," Burstyn wrote on a recent blog.

Burstyn said when she contacted Auckland police, an officer responded: "Sorry, there's nothing we can do."

But Burstyn said the Canadian response was "vastly different." She said she called the main number at the Toronto police station at around 1 a.m early Saturday and explained the situation. By 2 a.m, police officers were at her door, she said.

Burstyn said "they were very interested" and was told those kinds of threats are considered a "major crime in Canada."

She said a report was later filed with a Toronto Interpol liaison officer who forwarded the report to police in New Zealand.

Wow. Given how quick they were to respond to a non-Canadian in distress, I'm sure they'll be similarly prompt in dealing with this threat:

TORONTO -- A Facebook page inviting people to walk their dogs outside an east-end mosque is becoming a hotbed of hostility. 

Facebook administrators removed a post from the "Walk Your Dog at Mosque" page early Monday that threatened to throw attending dog owners in a "lake of fire" and shoot their beloved pooches on the spot.

Posted by Ali Shirazi, who identified himself as an Iranian-born resident of Toronto, it was aimed at the dog owners who plan to attend the Sept. 14 event at the Salahuddin mosque and community centre.

Some devout Muslims believe dogs to be unclean and vehemently avoid them.

The Facebook page emerged in the wake of the Al-Quds Islamic rally held at the legislature just over a week ago. The yearly anti-Israel demonstration, started by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, was also attended by counter-protestors, one of whom was a Jewish man who brought his 160-pound English Mastiff.

Allan Einstoss was arrested by police after getting into a scuffle when he was told by Muslim demonstrators to keep his dog away. His dog, Cupcake, was also kicked by at least on demonstrator.

"I'll tie you all up and throw you all in a lake of fire if you show up at the Salahuddin mosque ... every dog will be shot on (the) spot," wrote Shirazi.

Facebook spokesman Meg Sinclair said administrators would keep an eye on the site for other threatening posts.

Facebook is monitoring it. Oddly enough, though, as yet there appears to be no word from our Kiwi-protecting local constabulary.

Update: Gee, do you think authorities are hoping this "Ali Shirazi" will pull a Salman Hossain and skip town so that they don't have to bother with him?